A journey from over-abundance to simplicity. A hoarder shares some secrets of this misunderstood disease, with a visual guide along the way.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Is it over yet?

It feels like Christmas has gone on forever. I'm feeling very "done" with the decorations, the wrapping paper, the newspaper ads and sales.

We had a lovely, low-key Christmas. The kids each got at least one gift they specifically asked Santa for and another gift as well. The Little one got a small Polly Pocket set and donuts (yes, she asked Santa for donuts!) and the Big one got some Pokemon card packs and donuts (again, the donuts were a specific Santa request!). I'd given the Big one ice skates a couple of months ago, and that was to be her big Christmas gift. She actually had asked Santa for a laptop, but that wasn't going to happen this year.

The adults got a couple of gifts. Both of us got new windshield wiper blades, something I asked for. We got a Roomba from Santa! I got a book, Interpreter of Maladies from one of the only literary fiction writers I like, Jhumpa Lahiri. My cat gave me some nice wool socks; he and his buddy both got catnip fleece toys in their stockings. I got the husband a sweater. Santa brought some new jammies.

Santa brought us some new Wii games--World of Goo, which I love and another one Amazing Maze? that I haven't tried yet.

And of course, everyone's stocking had a chocolate orange.

We've experienced snow and freezing temperatures for days now here, and we're all going a little stir crazy. Our street is still covered in snow and slush, my car hasn't left it's warm dry spot for over a week.

The Little one is sick--she didn't want to eat any of her Christmas candy yesterday and that's when you know she's sick. I'm not sure where she picked up the bug, but she's got a fever and is very grumpy.